Siege tank
The siege tank is a terran vehicle that can be configured to fulfill both the armored support and the long-range artillery support roles.Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. Overview The dual-mode siege tank concept was a response to the Guild Wars and the goliath. Prior to the war, work had progressed on a static "final defense" cannon. However, the conflict demonstrated the need for mobility and as a result an effort was made to make the cannon more mobile. The solution was creative. An existing tank design was modified so that it could operate as a conventional tank in addition to being able to deploy the cannon and become a static artillery emplacement at will. Mobile siege tanks were in existence by 2480, several years before the official beginning of the Guild Wars. These tanks were able to be fueled by oil.McNeill, Graham (December 30, 2008). StarCraft: I, Mengsk. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-1-4165-5083-9. Siege tanks function in two modes. First is the "tank" or "assault mode" in which the vehicle may be used in the familiar armored support role using relatively light weapons. The second is the more radical "siege mode" in which the vehicle becomes a static emplacement able to deploy a much more powerful and longer ranged weapon. Types AAV-5 Arclite The AAV-5Arclite Siege Tank. StarCraft Compendium. Accessed on 2008-01-09 was in service by 2491, renowned throughout the Confederacy for its heavy firepower and stalwart emplacement/advance tactics. It had a crew of three: gunner, driver, and commander/navigator, though could still be crewed by a single operator.Neilson, Micky. StarCraft: Uprising. New York and Toronto, Ontario: Pocket Books, December 2000. ISBN 0-7434-1898-0 (eBook only).Knaak, Richard A. and Naohiro Washio. "Thundergod." In StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 1, pp. 48–93. Tokyopop, August 1, 2008. ISBN 1427-80721-3. The crew compartment could get hot enough to be uncomfortable.2014-10-10, Siege Tank Science. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2014-10-18 In addition, the Arclite could serve as an APC of sorts, carrying personnel into a hot zone and deploying them via side/rear hatches. The Arclite made navigation easy via its interior viewscreen, although a top hatch still existed should a crew member wish to survey the area personally and/or signal fellow soldiers. The tank also provided a targeting computer, which not only keyed in on heat sources, but also identified their range, notably whether they were in range or not via visual and audio indications. Arclite armament consisted of twin 80mm PPG-7 plasma cannonsSource: BlizzCon 2005 StarCraft: Ghost information. Terran Vehicles. Artist: Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-08. when mobile and the 120mm Shock Cannon when in siege mode. Later on this was upgraded to the 120mm Mjolnir Artillery Cannon, which fired plasma shells in contrast to the standard explosives of the Shock Cannon. Such weapons were sometimes used for "scorched earth" operations.Corey Konieczka, Robert A. Kouba, Dan Clark (December 17, 2008). StarCraft: The Board Game: Brood War. Fantasy Flight Games. ASIN 1589945034 By the aftermath of the however, the AAV-5's "tank/assault mode" left much to be desired. Its armament and armor was too light to either advance, or hold a firebase from close-quarters assault, without significant support. The Crucio was developed to address these shortcomings.Crucio Siege Tank. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2008-01-08. Crucio The Crucio was designed as the AAV-5's replacement, and had entered Dominion service by 2502.Knaak, Richard A. (w), Washio, Naohiro (p, i). "Thundergod." In StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 1 (paperback binding), pp. 48–93. Tokyopop, August 1, 2008. ISBN 978-1427-80721-2.April 6, 2010. "Timeline". StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). pp. 311 - 323. ISBN 978-1416-55084-6. Design The Crucio features superior protection and armament compared to its predecessor. The Crucio was designed for increased survivability, with an enlarged, reinforced turret and hull. The turret layout also features an upgraded Tank-Mode armament package, allowing the Crucio to defend itself more successfully in open battlefields. The Crucio is costlier than its predecessor, but its increased versatility justifies the expenses.Crucio Siege Tank, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2010-12-05 The treads of the Crucio are made out of modular, heavy-duty neosteel plates. Unlike standard tracked vehicles, the Crucio boasts a multi-track configuration with two extra tracks for added stability. Historically, tracked vehicles have a drawback, for the loss of a single tread segment results in immobilization. To prevent this, engineers have added a series of tubes in the chassis and bogies of the tank that pump a fast-drying gel onto the affected area. Said gel replaces lost tread segments, and allows the Crucio to remain operational after suffering damage that would cripple vehicles lacking this technology. In siege mode, the Crucio’s main tracks turn outwards and the secondary tracks slide into the hull, while thick hydraulic outriggers (also called legs) deploy from the sides of the tank. Once the legs are locked in, they push against the ground for added stability. The base of the outrigger, known as the pad or foot, is similar to a large claw. It comes with retractable talons that activate on rough terrain, and microscopic weep holes which secrete a rubbery substance for greater grip on metal and pavement. While the system is generally reliable, the legs stick from time to time. Like the Arclite, temperatures of the Crucio's crew compartment can become uncomfortable. To offset this, all Crucios come equipped with a set of heavy compressors that regulate the air inside the cabin, taxing the engine in the process. Some veteran tank operators, and a few borderline obsessive rookies, opt to modify the climate control system, paying out of their own pocket for additional performance. Ordnance By way of armament, the Crucio's turret has a dual-mode weapon system. In assault/tank mode, the Crucio utilizes twin 90mm plasma2008-06-29. Samwise Didier, Dave Bergain. WWI 08 Coverage - StarCraft II Art Panel. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2008-06-29. cannons. These are the Crucio's main line of defense, and are effective against enemy armor. Yet, the true might of the Crucio lies in its siege mode. On activation, the twin plasma cannons become the dreaded 180mm Shock Cannon, and just the roar of this weapon has been known to send enemies of the Dominion into full retreat. The shock cannon fires super-heated tungsten in an area larger than the 120mm version.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Armory units (in English). 2010. The weapon can fire a diverse range of munitions, like armor-piercing Maelstrom shells Dominion infantry soldiers are universally convinced that Crucio operators inflict more damage on friendly forces than on the enemy. Consequently, Crucio operators stick together during shore leave. LarsCorp addressed this issue by developing a "smart shell" for the Crucio that scans for allies on impact and adjusts its detonation to minimize damage to friendly units. Field tests have shown that this shell reduces friendly fire fatalities by 75%, though due caution is still recommended when walking into a fire zone.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Armory upgrades (in English). 2010. Other Other siege tank variants include the Karnage tank2001-01-31. StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Mercenaries II (in English). Map Archives: Mercenaries II and tower cannon.2000-10-27. StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Deception (in English). Map Archives: Deception. Game Unit StarCraft : For StarCraft gameplay information see: Siege tank (StarCraft). : For StarCraft in-game quotations see: StarCraft Siege Tank Quotations. The siege tank has many stereotypical, military quotes. The driver of the tank is seen as a large man in body armor who speaks in military lingo. Several of his quotes are obviously taken from the classic Vietnam War films Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now. StarCraft: Ghost In StarCraft: Ghost, Nova was able to call down artillery support from siege tanks by identifying targets.2004-05-11. Calling down support. IGN. Accessed 2008-01-09.Goldstein, Hilary. 2003-03-31. Starcraft: Ghost Details. IGN. Accessed 2007-09-01. Siege tanks were player drivable in multiplayer, and were able to run over and crush other players and vehicles. StarCraft II : For StarCraft II gameplay information see: Siege tank (StarCraft II). : For StarCraft II in-game quotations see: StarCraft II Siege Tank Quotations. The siege tank in StarCraft II represents the Crucio type. Known Siege Tanks *24-KC-75 Known Siege Tank Units *Shock Division *Siege Breakers Known Siege Tank Commanders and Crewmen *General Edmund Duke *General Martin *General Horace Warfield (Heroes of the Storm only) *Captain Marius Blackwood *Sergeant Forest Keel *Sergeant Bama Kowalski *Sergeant Wendell Sovens *Private Armstrong *Garth *Murphy Notes *The 120mm Mjolnir cannon may be a reference to the hammer of the Norse god of thunder, Thor. *Crucio is a Latin word which means "I torture." *Early lore had the Crucio with a 120mm Shock Cannon. This was later altered to be 180mm. *Artwork from StarCraft: Ghost Academy: Volume 2 depicts Crucios being in use during the Fall of Tarsonis.Gerrold, David (w), Fernando Heinz Furukawa (p, i). StarCraft: Ghost Academy: Volume 2 (paperback binding). Tokyopop, August 10, 2010. ISBN 978-1427-81613-9. This contradicts all other sources of information and is likely an artistic error. *An arcade game named Siege Mode 3 cameos in Overwatch. Per its namesake, it features a siege tank as an apparent antagonist to the player's character (a marine). References Category: Terran Vehicle Classes Category:StarCraft: Ghost Terran units